CITY MOVES WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS September 23, 2009 HSBC Private BankHSBC has appointed Willem Sels to head up its fixed income strategy for the UK private banking division, focusing on building bond-focused client solutions in sovereign and credit markets. Sels, who in his spare time is an accomplished pianist, holding five Belgian national awards in classical music, joins from Dresdner Kleinwort, where he [...]
THE JOY OF A GOOD STOVE September 23, 2009 JEFF GALVINWE FOLLOW THE GALVIN BROTHERS AS THEY COUNT DOWN TO THE OPENING OF THEIR NEW CITY RESTAURANT A GOOD STOVE is the heart of any restaurant, so you just have to make sure it’s right. Which is why for our new restaurant my brother Chris and I have designed our own, which was made [...]
At 89, the champion of horse thrillers has finally slowed down September 23, 2009 EVEN MONEYBY DICK FRANCIS AND FELIX FRANCISMichael Joseph, £18.99 THE action opens at a racecourse – where else? Ned Talbot, an independent bookie, is at Royal Ascot drawing to the end of an unlucky day in which the punters keep winning. As with many Francis heroes, Ned’s feeling a bit weary with life. His wife [...]
CAREERS CLINIC September 23, 2009 DR LYNDA GRATTONLONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL I’m a manager in a struggling private equity division. Morale is low, and I’m losing confidence in my abilities to motivate the team and make decisions. How can I lead more effectively? YOU’RE in a very common situation in the City at the moment, with small teams of highly-paid and [...]
Good soft skills are key to turning grads into good employees September 23, 2009 IN India right now, a British training firm called Speak First is running a series of “finishing schools” to improve Indian graduates’ soft business skills and increase their chances of gaining employment. The schools address the fact that the academic and intellectual excellence of many Indian graduates is not matched by abilities in areas like [...]
Minerva soothes investors with 750m refinancing deal September 22, 2009 SHARES in indebted London office developer Minerva soared yesterday, after it said it had refinanced, extended or restructured loans totalling more than £750m. After months of negotiations, Minerva’s lenders have agreed revised terms on £570m of loans secured on two City of London office developments at The Walbrook and St Botolphs. These include the deferral [...]
EU regulators to call on King September 22, 2009 BANK of England governor Mervyn King could be handed a powerful role with a new pan-European regulator, in an effort by the European Commission (EC) to bring the UK on board with the plans. The EC will today publish its blueprint for a revamp of European financial supervision, which is set to create four new [...]
LONDON CALLING BURBERRY September 22, 2009 Burberry made its London comeback last night as it closed the 25th London Fashion Week. The 153-year old British designer showed its main 2010 spring-summer collection, Prorsum, and was joined at the show by other homegrown brands including Matthew Williamson.
No timetable to sell UKFI bank stakes boss admits September 22, 2009 UK FINANCIAL Investments (UKFI) – the company set up to manage the government’s stakes in recapitalised banks – has not set a timetable for disposing of its holdings, one of its top officials said yesterday. John Crompton, head of market investments at UKFI, said the government was keen to avoid making predictions about the price [...]
BoA faces SEC suit over bonus payouts September 22, 2009 BANK of America (BoA) is to face a lawsuit from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over claims that it deceived investors about bonuses paid to Merrill Lynch employees when it took over the struggling bank last year. BoA promised shareholders at the time that no bonuses would be paid without their assent, but [...]
